Good Conscience, Treatise · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI.
The portion and reſpect that a good Conſcience findes in the world.
ANd thus hauehave we hitherto ſeene Pauls Proteſtation. The ſecond point followes, namely, Ananias his inſolent & impetuous Iniunction. Verſe 2. And the high Prieſt Ananias commanded them that ſtood by him, to ſmite him on the mouth.
Paul had begunne his defence in the former verſe, and that by authoritie & ſpeciall command, as appeares in the former Chapter, at the 30. verſe. But he had no ſooner begun, but hee is interrupted aad cut off, and hath not only his mouth ſtopt, but ſtopt with Ananias fiſts, Hee commanded to ſmite him on the mouth. Out of which carryage and violence of his, wee may obſerue diuerſe things. Firſt learne;
Doctr. 1 What is the Reward and portion of a good Conſcience from the world. It is the portion of a good Conſcience full oft to be ſmitten, either on the mouth, or with the mouth. Blowes either with the fiſt, or with the tongue. To be ſmitten one way or other, is full often the lot of a good Conſcience. Smite him on the mouth, ſares Ananias. But let vsus a little expoſtulate the matter with Ananias. Smite him on the mouth? But yet as Pilate ſpeakes in Chriſts caſe? But what evill hath he done? or what evill hath he ſpoken? Smite him on the mouth? But as our Saviour anſwers, Iohn 18. 23. If he hauehave ſpoken evill, take witneſſe of the evill, and proceed legally and formally: If he hauehave ſpoken well, or no manner of euil, Why commandeſt thou him to be ſmitten? What hath he ſpoken any treaſon againſt Caeſar, or the Romane government? If he hauehave, then as the towne-Clerk of Epheſus ſpeaks, Act. 19. 38. The law is open, & there are Deputies, let thē accuſe him, & bring him to his anſwer. It is a baſe vſage of any ingenuous perſon, to bee ſmitten on the mouth in a Court of Iuſtice, a diſhonorable vſage of a Romane. Surely it ſhould ſeem by ſuch baſe & bitter vſage, that Paul hath ſome way or other fowly forgotten & over-ſhot himſelf, that Ananias his ſpirit is thus embittered and provoked againſt him. What hath Paul given him any exaſperating & diſgraceful termes, hath he given him any open & perſonal girds, before the whole Councel? No, no: No ſuch matter at all. Why what thē is the matter that Paul muſt be thus baſely & thus deſpitefully vſed? Will ye know the cauſe? Men and brethren I hauehave lived in all good Conſcience. Lo here is the quarrell. He hath made a profeſſion of a good Conſcience, and for his good Conſcience ſake are Ananias fiſts about his eares. There is nothing ſo mads men of wicked Conſciences, as the profeſſion and practice of a good conſcience doth. The very name and mention of a good conſcience makes Ananias halfe mad, & like one beſides himſelfe, hee falles not onelyonly to foule words, but to blowes alſo, and Paul muſt hauehave on the mouth for his good conſcience ſake.
Paul might hauehave blaphemed the bleſſed name of Chriſt, and rayled vponupon the odious Sect of the Nazarens, hee might hauehave beene a drunkard, an adulterer, or a murtherer, and none of all theſe things, would hauehave ſtirred Ananias his bloud, for none of all theſe ſhould Paul hauehave beene ſmitten; but let him but once ſpeake, or treat of, or any way meddle with good Conſcience, and Ananias his bloud is preſently vp, hee cannot holde his handes, but Paul muſt hauehave on the mouth, there is no remedy. So odious a thing is good Conſcience and the profeſſion of it to wicked men. Therefore this is that which a good Conſcience muſt expect, euen Ananias his dole, fiſtes, blowes, ſmiting, hard and iuiurious meaſure, from the world.
This is no new thing. It was our Saviours caſc before it was Pauls, Ioh. 18. 22. And when he had thus ſpoken, one of the officers which ſtoodby ſtroke Ieſus with the palme of his hand, &c. Luk. 22, 63. 64. And the men that held Ieſus, mocked him, and ſmote him, And when they had blinfolded him, they ſtroke him on the face. Hee felt the weight of their fiſts for the ſame quarrell that Paul did. So it was foreprophecyed of him, Iſa. 50. 6. I gaue my back to the ſmiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the haire. It was the kindnes that Zidkiah could afford Micaiah 1. Kin. 22. 24. He went neere & ſmote Micaiah on the cheeke, & it was the thankes the Prophet was like to hauehave for the diſcharge of a good conſcience. 2. Chr. 25. 16. Forbeare, why ſhouldeſt thou bee ſmitten? It is that of which Iob cōplained ſo long ſince, Iob 16. 10 Mine enemy ſharpens his eyes vponupon me, they hauehave gaped vponupon me with the mouth, they hauehave ſmitten me vponupon the cheeke reproachfully.
The ſame portion did the Prophet Ieremy meet withal, Ier. 20. 2. Then Paſhur ſmote Ieremiah the Prophet. What was the quarrell? That in the former verſ. He heard that Ieremiah had prophecied theſe things. OnelyOnly for diſcharging his conſcience, for the conſcionable diſpenſation of Gods truth. And as ſometime they ſmote him on the mouth, ſo ſometime they ſmote him with the mouth. Ier. 18. 18. Come let vsus deviſe devices againſt Ieremiah, come let vsus ſmite him with the tongue, and let vsus not giuegive heed to any of his wordes. And why would they ſmite him with the tongue? OnelyOnly for his Conſcience, and fidelity in his Miniſtry.
There is mention made of two falſe Prophets, againſt whom an heauy iudgement is threatned. Ier. 29. 21. 23. Ahab, and Zedekiah, two baſe ſcandalous debauched perſons, who committed villany in Iſrael, and committed adultery with their neighbours wiues. The Prophet Ieremy he out of conſcience fulfills his Miniſtry, and ſee how lightfingred Paſhur is, hee hath fiſts for Ieremies face, and ſtockes for his heeles; but in the meane time Ahab and Zedekiah they may whore, and play the villaines, and they feele not the waight of his little finger. If his fingers muſt needs be walking, there is worke for them, there he may ſtrike, and ſtocke with credit. But there is no ſuch zeale againſt them. No ſuch dealing with them. Zedekiah and Ahab may bee in good tearmes of grace with Paſhur, whilſt Ieremiah muſt hauehave on the face. & lie by the heeles. So well can wicked men brooke villany, and any wretched courſes better then they can a good conſcience: Paſhur can better endure an adulterous whore maſter, then an honeſt conſcionable Prophet. Villains may walk at liberty, whilſt a good cō ſcience ſhal ſit in the ſtocks. Here then is the portion a good Conſcience, may looke for from the world. The better Conſcience, the harder meaſure. For which of my good works doe ye ſtone mee, ſaith our Saviour, Ioh. 10. 32. A ſtrange recompence for good workes, and yet oſt-times the beſt recompence, and reward that the world can affoord good workes, & a good Conſcience, ſtones and ſtrokes. And if ſo be that feare of law, and happy gouernment binde their hands, yet then will they bee ſmiting with the tongue: and if the law keepe them in awe for ſmiting on the mouth, yet then will they doe what they dare, they will ſmite with the mouth.
Vſe 1 A faire Item to all that meane to vndertake the profeſſion and courſes of good Conſcience. Doe as many do in caſe of marriage, before they affect the perſon, they firſt conſider how they like the portion. So here, before thou meddle with good conſcience, thinke with thy ſelfe what is her portion, and if thou like not that, it is but a folly to thinke of a good Conſcience. Doe as our Saviour adviſes, Luk. 14. 28. Sit down firſt and count the coſt, and whether thou be able to endure that coſt or no. Ananias hath a fierce ſpirit, and a fowle heauy fiſt, Paſhur is a club fiſted fellow, and the ſpitting adders of the world will ſmite their ſting deep. Suppoſe a good cōſcience may ſpeed better, as hauing the protection of Chrian gouernment, yet this it muſt reckon vponupon, and it muſt account of the hardeſt. Therfore think before hand before you meddle with it, how you can beare the fiſts and blowes of ſmiters, if ever you ſhould come vnderunder them.
I may ſay here as our Saviour did to the ſons of Zebedeus, Mat. 20. 20. 21. 22. Ye knov not what ye aske. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I ſhall drink of, & to be baptized wich the baptiſme that I am baptized with? Many ſay they deſire to enter the courſes of good Conſcience, but doe not well know nor well weigh what they deſire. Conſider with your ſelues, Are ye able to drinke of the cup that a good conſcience ſhall drinke of? Can ye be baptiſed with the baptiſme that a good cōſcience muſt be baptiſed with? Can ye endure the ſmart of Ananias blows? Can ye beare the load of Paſhurs club-fiſt? Think vpō this afore hand, & weigh it well, this is that you muſt make account off, that will ſet vponupon the courſes of a good conſcience.
Vſe 2 Is this the portion of a good Conſcience, ſee then, what a great meaſure of Chriſtian reſolution they ſhall need to hauehave, that take the profeſſion of it vponupon them. Be ſhod with the ſhoes of the preparation of the Goſpell. Epheſ. 6. 15. Growe marveilous reſolute, to harden thy ſelfe, and to harden thy face againſt all enemies fiſts, & blowes whatſoeuer, that though Ananias ſhould daſh thee on the face, yet he might not daſh thee & thy good Conſcience out of Countenance. Thus did our Saviour. Iſa, 50. 6. I gaue my backe to the ſmiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hayre, I hid not my face from ſhame, and ſpitting. But how was he euer able to endure all this? See verſ. 7. I hauehave ſet my face like a flint, and I know that I ſhall not bee aſhamed. So muſt thou doe that meaneſt to keepe a good Conſcience. Get a face, and a forehead of flint, that enemies may as ſoone cracke a flint with their knuckles, as by their violence and iniuries driue thee from a good Conſcience. Get an Ezekiels face. Ezek. 3. 9 Make thy forehead as an Adamāt, harder then a flint. Steele, & flint thy face with all heroicall reſolution. A face of fleſh will neuer endure, but a face of flint wil hold Ananias fiſts tack, let him ſtrike while he wil, he ſhall ſooner batter a flint with his fiſt, then ſtir a reſolued conſcience out of its ſtation.
But beleeue mee, theſe be hard things to vndergoe, who will be able to abideQuaeſt. ſuch hard meaſure, how therefore may one grow to ſuch reſolution, to abide the worlds fiſts, and the ſmart of their ſmiting.
Anſw. 1. Conſider that Conſcience hath fiſts as well as Ananias. 1. Sam. 24. 5. and 2. Sam. 24. 10. Davids heart ſmote him. And what are Ananias his blowes on the face, to the blowes of Conſcience at the heart? One blowe on the heart, or with the heart is more painefull then an hundred on the face, and as Rehoboam ſpeakes of himſelfe. 1 King. 12. 10. ſo Conſciences little finger is thicker, heavier, and more intollerable then both Ananias his hands, & loynes. Now then here is the caſe. If Paul will ſtand to his Conſcience, then Ananias his fiſts will be about his eares. If Paul doe forſake or flawe good Conſcience for feare, or for the favour of Ananias, then will conſciences fiſts be about his heart. Now then if no remedie but a man muſt hauehave blowes, it is good wiſdome to chuſe the lighteſt fiſt, and the ſofter hand, and to take the blow vponupon that part that is beſt able to beare it with moſt eaſe▪ The face is better able to abide blowes then the heart, and Ananias his blowes are but fillips to the clubbing blowes of Conſcience. Wee would ſcarce iudge him a wiſe man, that to avoyd a cuffe on the eare, would put himſelfe vnderunder the danger of a blowe with a club. Here is that then that may make vsus to compoſe our ſelues to patience, and to growe to an hardines, and a Chriſtian reſolution. Better ten blowes one the face▪ then one on the heart. Better an hundred from Ananias, then one from Conſcience, that will lay on loade; let the world ſmite, yet mine heart ſmites not, yea, that ſtroakes and comforts, whileſt the world ſtrikes & threatens. Therfore being ſmitten in caſe of conſcience, rather then giuegive out, do as our Saviour bids in another caſe. Mat. 5. 39. Whoſoeuer ſhall ſmite thee on the right cheeke, turne to him the other alſo.
2. Conſider that in the next Verſe, God ſhall ſmite thee. God hath ſmiting fiſts as well as Ananias. Let him ſmite, but yet there will come a time that God ſhall ſmite him: God will call ſmiters to a reckoning.
3. Conſider that of Dauid. Pſal. 3. 7. Thou haſt ſmitten all mine enemies vponupon the cheek bone, thou haſt broken the teeth of the vngodly. God will not onelyonly ſmite the enemies of his people, but will ſmite them with diſgrace, as it is a matter of vile diſgrace to hauehave a boxe on the cheeke, and he will giuegive them ſuch a duſt on the mouth as ſhall daſh out their very teeth; he will lay heauy and diſgracefull iudgements vponupon them, as he did vponupon Abſolom, of whom Dauid ſpeakes.
May it ever be thy lot to ſee good Conſcience vnderunder the fiſts of ſmiters, be not diſcouraged, ſtart not, ſtumble not at it. Bee not readie to inferre; It is in vaine to cleanſe a mans conſcience, and waſh his hands in innocency. But conſider, that this hath beene ever the worlds madnes, and the auncient lot of a good Conſcience, either to be ſmitten with adverſaries hands, or varlets tongues.